Blood in the Sand
by Wintterzz
Summary: When a mysterious Noxian noblewoman hires Sivir to take her to an ancient tomb, Sivir's journey takes an unexpected turn. Soon she must make a choice that will determine the fate of her life, and the fate of Shurima.
1. Chapter 1 - Bel'zhun

**Chapter 1 - Bel'zhun**

If you were to try and capture the essence of Bel'zhun in one word, it would be dull. This exceptionally dull settlement in Shurima occupied an equally dull corner of the desert. With its streets typically barren and markets sparsely populated, Bel'zhun was anything but 'bustling', and yet, on this particular day, the inhabitants of the settlement pushed and jostled each other in the streets. Stall merchants shouted out to customers with a new gusto; shops, taverns and inns were at full capacity and the city was filled with an uncommon vigor. Yes, Bel'zhun was bustling on this day, bustling in every sense of the word. For today, this out-of-the-way town was graced with the presence of the famous Battle Mistress, Sivir; her title and name were known throughout all of Valoran, as were her wealth and exploits. Leading her band of legendary sell-swords across the golden seas of Shurima, she made a name for herself as top blade for hire. When she was not guarding the treasures of the wealthy, she was amassing a fortune for herself. She had no scruples about cracking ancient tombs and absconding with the treasures of the departed, and her success story was the dream of every mercenary from the humid jungles of Kumungu to the frosty peaks of the Freljord.

The mystery for the townsfolk was why Sivir was in Bel'zhun in the first place. Surely there was no job in such a humble, normal, and, most importantly, poor settlement that would satisfy the grand Battle Mistress. But whatever the reason, she was here, and Bel'zhun's chief was more than happy to accommodate such a personage. The small settlement would easily profit from the attention as merchants and travellers flocked to see such a famed company. People would come from all over to pay for the services of this legendary group, making the journey with their pockets filled up with as much gold as they had or whatever valuables they could pawn. Of course, more often than not, their travels would prove fruitless. As the gang's fame rose, so too did the cost of their services, eventually becoming out of reach for the common man. Nevertheless, people (along with their meager coin and high hopes) still traveled far and wide to see the legend. Roaming merchants, drifters, and all manner of swindlers soon caught on and started to prey on the gold-laden crowds. And thus whenever the fabled adventurers were in a local settlement or village, it would transform into a bustling hub of trade for however long the Battle Mistress's band chose to stick around.

In this case, they would not be staying for very long; the inhabitants of Bel'zhun did not know that their esteemed guests had no intentions of lingering, but Sivir had planned it that way. A disgruntled crowd only brought more attention, something she wanted to avoid if possible. She was uneasy, a feeling uncharacteristic to this champion of the desert. She was only in town to meet her contact for the next job, something that was routine and that she had consistently completed with ease. But she was still nervous. One thing she knew, one thing that was a certainty in the ever-changing sands of Shurima, is that life is always full of inconsistencies.

* * *

The horse drawn carriage jostled abruptly every few seconds as it followed the narrow path. This part of the desert near the Mogron Pass was mostly comprised of grainy silt, leading to a very uncomfortable and bumpy ride, much to the noblewoman's annoyance. As if to spite her, a dip in the path hit the carriage with extra force, knocking over a bag and spilling parchments and papers across the carriage floor. She rounded up the loose papers and sat back with a venomous look on her, while frustrated, still immaculate face. In the seat across, her bodyguard tried to avoid the gaze, as if locking eyes with her meant certain death. Eventually, however, he broke the silence by clearing his throat several times as he prepared to speak the lines he had been carefully rehearsing over the past several minutes.

"Lady Cassiopeia, we shall be arriving at the settlement of Bel'zhun within the hour. Our guide should be waiting to meet us there as soon as we arrive."

Cassiopeia turned to the man, her expression swiftly shifting from malice to a pleasing, albeit dangerous, smile.

"Thank you, Magnus." She paused briefly before continuing. "I appreciate you accompanying me on such a journey. Your presence makes me feel much safer."

Her sultry voice was like velvet to the ears, but Magnus simply nodded and promptly broke eye contact to look out the window as Cassiopeia nobly sat with her pristine smile. Many a man or woman would have been overjoyed by the praise, Cassiopeia Du Couteau was the gem of Noxus after all. It was said that gaining her favor was the same as gaining favor with the gods; to lose it however, was to lose everything. That being said, Magnus was her bodyguard who was approaching a year in her service and he knew she was far from the innocent beauty which she often appeared to be. Being with her when she was angry was terrifying, but not something he could not handle. What truly made his blood run cold was the sight of that sickly-sweet smile and the sound of her melodious voice, saturated with hidden desires. Many a poor soul lost their lives upon her poisonous lips. Where they expected to receive her warm embrace, they were only met with the coldness of deceit. Magnus shifted uncomfortably in his seat after his train of thought, letting his eyes scan out the window, he longed for their arrival at Bel'zhun.

* * *

Barely two days had passed since Sivir and her group arrived in Bel'zhun and it was already brimming with travellers and merchants. The swift and dramatic increase of population had put the Battle Mistress in a sour mood and she decided the best way to improve it was with hearty food and drink. She found herself sitting in the corner of _The Nomad's Oasis_ , a local tavern, as she brooded to herself, forehead creased with wrinkles. Sivir poked idly at her food while she was deep in concentration, mostly about how stale and warm her beer was, when an ear splitting crack of pottery breaking brought her attention back to the tavern. Her eyes focused on the scene that had broken out, her light blue irises glowed from the dark corner of the room she resided in. Two men seemed to be fighting over a late payment on a delivery, when one of them knocked over a plate as their tensions rose. Sivir took one last bite of her food before wiping her hands on a napkin. She rummaged around in the pouch at her waist, pushing the gold circlet that she normally wore to the side as she pulled out a simple cloth headband. Pulling her dark black hair back, Sivir stood and made her way over to the pair of men. A young barmaid was timidly trying to intervene, but the bickering men paid her no heed and their argument only escalated. The older of the two men pushed the younger back, causing him to stumble and knock into the barmaid. The girl lost her balance but Sivir caught her before she fell, one hand grasping the barmaids arm, the other fidgeting with her hastily made ponytail. Sivir smiled at the trembling barmaid before speaking.

"Do you think you could fetch me a new drink? Mine seems to have been a bit warm."

The barmaid, who realized Sivir's request was less of a question and a more of an order, nodded eagerly as she retreated to the back. The yelling between the men was starting to get on Sivir's nerves and she approached the two belligerents who had been disturbing the peace of the tavern for quite long enough. She was taller than either man, standing just shy of six-foot. She placed a hand on each man's shoulder as both whipped their heads around to see who would dare interrupt them and their faces drained of color.

"Now, now my friends, instead of bickering at an extremely unreasonable volume, why don't we try and resolve this… problem?"

* * *

Cassiopeia watched the carriage retreat down a back road of Bel'zhun, and pushing the desires of being home in Noxus aside, she turned to face Magnus. The bodyguard shifted uncomfortably in his garb, a film of sweat lining his skin. He had expected Shurima to be warm, just not _this_ warm. Cassiopeia, though more appropriately dressed, was also feeling the effects of the midday sun. She wore a white sheath dress with a leather belt at her waist that held a short blade, which looked more ornamental than practical. Magnus stood beside her, re-adjusting his claymore on his back as he looked around the back alley of Bel'zhun they were located in. The silence was broken by the sound of multiple footsteps approaching and Magnus let a hand reach for his blade as he turned to face two figures that had appeared in the alleyway. A young man and woman came into view as they approached him and Cassiopeia; they were dressed in brown and dark blue linen outfits with leather sandals that laced up their calf. Both of the newcomers were armed and looked capable.

"You must be Cassiopeia."

The man, who had spoken, was close to Magnus's height, both of which surpassed six-foot. Though the young man lost several inches of height as he was slouched over, with both of his hands shoved into his pockets. He had short black hair, was well muscled, and carried a long, curved blade slung over his shoulder. He had dark brown eyes like his compatriot beside him, though they were not as stern as the girl's, partly due to the childish and carefree grin across his face. The man received a quick elbow in the ribs from the girl to reprimand his lack of formality with Cassiopeia before she turned to face Magnus and Cassiopeia, handing the bodyguard a letter.

"We were told this letter would prove our legitimacy."

Magnus glanced over the letter skimming the contents before noticing a crest at the bottom, a black rose. The letter was indeed legitimate, these two sellswords were with Sivir, and he nodded to Cassiopeia. The girl bowed slightly, placing a hand over her heart before speaking.

"If you would follow us, we will take you to where Sivir is."

Cassiopeia let her critical gaze shift now to the woman; she had light brown, shoulder-length hair, and was equipped with a short curved sword that sat sheathed on her lower back. The blade ran parallel to her belt and the handle ran beyond her waist so that it could be drawn quicker than those with usual over-the-shoulder sheaths. She was small and petite, barely reaching over five-foot and was thin, but she still carried herself with an air of strength and maturity. Along with her deep brown eyes, she bore freckles that danced around a scar that spread across the bridge of her nose to her cheeks.

"Why is Sivir not here to greet us in person? Does she not view me or this job as important?"

The unexpected venom behind Cassiopeia's words took the sell-swords by surprise, but they quickly recovered after glancing nervously at each other. The girl's voice shook slightly as she spoke;

"Of course not. I will retrieve her at once, she is just...currently preoccupied."

* * *

Sivir rifled through the bags of the two unconscious men that lay across the broken table. Sivir tossed two gold pouches in the air, snatching them up as an exasperated voice directed at her spoke.

"It hasn't even been two days since we arrived and you already got into a bar fight. Are you trying to set some kind of record?"

Sivir gave the brown haired, freckled face girl an amused glance. "Oh don't look at me like that Myra, these guys had it coming." Sivir tossed the bag of coins to the frightened barmaid

"That should cover the expenses." The barmaid, still dumbfounded, nodded and mumbled a small thanks in response. Sivir turned back Myra who shook her head in disapproval, muttering something about irresponsibility.

"Have they arrived in Bel'zhun yet?"

"Yes. She was...not the most pleasant person I've met." Myra said exasperatedly.

Sivir let a smirk spread to the corner of her mouth as she walked back to her table. "What? Are you telling me that Noxian noblewomen are snobby? I would have never guessed." Sivir said sardonically as she picked up her crossblade, slinging it across her back, before returning to Myra at the taverns entrance, her smirk still glued to her face.

"Well...shouldn't keep our clients waiting." And with that, both figures exited the tavern.

The afternoon Shuriman sun seemed to beat down with more force than Sivir was used to. She tugged at her clothes absentmindedly, her garb was the usual brown and dark blue that her group sported, however, she was not wearing her usual high cut top that revealed most of her midriff, instead her shirt was long sleeved and covered her torso completely. Even her pants now covered all the way down to her ankles. She was never fond of having to cover up every inch of her skin when in the desert heat, but for this job she would be travelling long hours under the sun in the desert. The irritation from long sleeved clothing paled in comparison to the blistering burns one would receive to prolonged exposure from the sun. Sivir followed Myra through several twisting back alleys as the young sellsword confirmed the group was ready to leave at Sivir's command. Sivir was only half paying attention to Myra because she was deep in thought, twiddling the white scarf at her neck occasionally or pushing stray hairs up only to have them fall back seconds later. Myra shot a furtive glance at Sivir, noticing the worry on her leader's face. Sivir's band had seen many people come and go. It's not like Sivir ever forced anyone to stay; it was only natural for mercenaries to come and go, never wanting to be tied down to one place, and Sivir respected that. Myra, however, had been fixed next to Sivir's side these past years. She had soon found herself fiercely loyal to the Battle Mistress and her ideals within months of joining with her. And after the time spent together, Myra had picked up on a few of Sivir's nuances. With the arrival of the letter about this job from Noxus, Myra instantly had seen something was off with Sivir. Myra broke the silence as they walked.

"Cassiopeia arrived with a bodyguard but he doesn't seem too bright, he should be nothing to worry about."

Sivir still gave a concerned glance towards Myra, her face seem to be hoping for extra reassurance, which Myra was happy to divulge.

"We have also been monitoring everyone who enters and leaves Bel'zhun, rest assured Sivir, we will not run into any problems with this job."

"You can always tell when something is bothering me." Sivir chuckled to herself continuing on.

"Maybe that's why Desmond is so fond of you." Sivir said, giving Myra a playful push as they rounded the final corner to where the group was.

They had arrived at the edge of Bel'zhun where a small caravan of camels was being loaded up with supplies by Sivir's band of sellswords, all clad in her telltale colors of cerulean blue and tawny brown. Sivir's gaze landed on a woman, who could only be Cassiopeia, skeptically sizing up the mercenaries while sitting leisurely under an awning.

"Myra, help them pack up. We will be leaving soon." Myra nodded, but was stopped as Sivir caught her arm before she left to add in a final remark.

"Do you have some of the sun cream, the one to reduce burns? You know how noblewomen and their creams are." Myra nodded, as she fished the container out of her bag and handed it to Sivir before heading on her way. Sivir glanced over to where a tall, dark haired boy was trying to make conversation with the Noxian bodyguard.

"Desmond quit slacking off and help Myra and the group. And stop slouching will you? Just stand up straight for once...and wipe that dumb grin off your face!"

Sivir shook her head before taking a deep breath and headed over to the Noxian noblewoman.

"Cassiopeia, I apologize for not being there to greet you. I trust that Myra and Desmond were accommodating?"

Cassiopeia stood, and although she was a good deal shorter than Sivir, she still carried a distinct air of power as she rose. Her face, now void of any dejection, was filled with a beautifully intoxicating smile, that set Sivir's nerves on edge.

"Of course my dear Sivir. I am just glad to finally meet you. The Noxian high command sings nothing but the highest of praises for you, the famous Battle Mistress of the Shuriman Desert."

Sivir almost wretched at Cassiopeia's facade, _Noxians- they're always full of deceit._

"I am surprised to hear that. I figured they would still harbor ill will after I declined their offers to work with high command during the Ionia war. In fact, I am almost positive that they do."

"Rest assured that is not the case Sivir. Noxus values your services and skill-set too much to have such feelings."

Sivir nodded and decided it was time to change the subject. Raising a hand to shield her eyes, she glanced briefly towards the sky.

"We will be doing a short ride to an outpost not far from here, and we should make it before sunfall. When we arrive we can get more of the needed supplies before making our journey into the heart of the desert the following day."

Sivir reminded herself and quickly pulled the cream Myra had given her out of her pocket. "Also I recommend this ointment, you can use it on your skin that will be exposed to the sun to help prevent burning. It is also said to help with clearing up your skin… not that you would need that"

Sivir started to stumble with her words in the end. Trying make pleasant conversation while appealing to a noblewoman's tastes was not her forte.

"I appreciate the thought Sivir, it was most gracious of you. I will tell Magnus, my bodyguard, to get ready for departure. Thank you again."

"No need to thank me. I'm just glad Noxus came to me with another job and not an assassin." Sivir let out a half-hearted laugh that abruptly trailed off. She rubbed the bridge of her nose before realizing that jokes were not her forte either.

Luckily Cassiopeia let out a small chuckle as well before responding. "Of course! We would never do such a thing."

Sivir nodded and excused herself before turning to help out with the preparations for departure. Cassiopeia eyed the crossblade that was holstered on Sivir's back, letting her last words hiss out as she watched the Battle Mistress walk away

"No, Sivir, we would never harm you. After all, your blood is much too precious to spill...for now."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Hey guys just wanted to drop a few shout outs here:**

 **Thanks for anumbrellafortwo on tumblr for letting me use their art as my cover photo!**

Also huge thanks for my beta readers:

 **MeltedJujubees was a huge help in cleaning up my story, went above and beyond to help me and can't thank her enough.**

 **DeepChicken, my story wouldn't be the same without the grammar and syntax Chicken! :^)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Xer'sai

**Chapter 2 - Xer'sai**

The little boy bobbed and weaved between the maze of tents and adults, the sand slipping between his toes as his little sister followed on his trail, giggling at their game of tag. The children ran farther and farther, edging closer to the outskirts of the camp before the boy suddenly skid to a halt on the side of a path, his mouth slightly ajar. His sister, not expecting the sudden stop, let out a small 'oomf' as she collided with her older brother's back. Annoyed, she glanced at him before gasping. The roadway before them was blocked by a caravan of camels and tall figures that were heading to the center of the camp. The characters that rode in the caravan were imposing, clad in brown and blue, and their curved blades seemed to grin menacingly at the boy. The group made the boy wary -one can never be too wary of strangers in the desert- until he saw her, the breathtaking woman that rode in the middle of the pack. The cool night breeze tousled her long black hair and the light from the campfires made her tan skin glisten. The boy's little sister tugged at her brother's shirt as she saw the crossblade that was holstered on the side of the camel.

"Tha..that's Sivir, the Battle Mistress!"

The young boy knew but could not respond to his sister as he continued to stare in awe at the woman before him. Sivir took notice of the pair of siblings and couldn't help but let a smile slide across her face. The boy felt his face flush at her warm smile, and watched her as she rummaged in her pockets before flipping a gold piece into the air. The boy let his outstretched hands catch the coin as Sivir continued on the path further into the camp. The boy stood in his trance for several moments before snapping out of it as another woman in the caravan appeared. The woman was foreign to Shurima, her pale, beautiful face intoxicating. She too smiled calmly at the boy, but her callous eyes betrayed the show of false benevolence, sending shivers down the boy's spine. Holding the coin in one hand, he grabbed his sister with the other as they slipped back into the maze of tents.

The group of sellswords settled near the middle of the camp, as Sivir had sent a messenger ahead to tell of their arrival. It was getting dark and most of the group sat around a fire resting and idly chatting, while Sivir made the final arrangements for their trip into the Sai desert. She had payed for the final provisions of the trip and was returning to the location of her group when she heard the sound of sparring. Deciding to taking a slight detour, she peered around a tent, revealing a small clearing in which two combatants circled one another, wooden training weapons in their hands. Sivir let out a small smirk as she leaned up against the post of a tent. The smaller figure lunged out with a dagger, catching the larger one off guard who barely parried the smaller blade to the side.

"Watch it Myra, just because they're wooden doesn't mean they don't hurt," The larger figure teased as he backed off.

"You need to take these things more seriously, Desmond, and look on the bright side: if it hurts that will encourage you not to get hit," Myra quipped as she lunged again.

Desmond sidestepped the thrust, and with a surprisingly agile counterattack swung his training sword at Myra. Myra pulled back, narrowly dodging Desmond's blade, and forced off balance, she rolled back in the sand to dodge his follow-up overhand strike.

"You'll have to be fast-" Myra's taunt was cut off as she noticed Desmond had already closed the distance of her roll. Swinging his sword, he hit Myra on the wrist, making her drop her weapon.

"Sorry! Myra I didn't mean too.." Desmond panicked a little as Myra cursed under her breath and motioned Desmond to come over and help her.

"Oh man, I'm sorry Myra...please don't kill me," Desmond said, half as a joke and half with legitimate concern. Desmond walked over to Myra trying to help, but as he got close to her all he was met with was a knee to the chest. Caught off guard, Desmond stumbled backwards. Picking up her blade, Myra quickly counter attacked, knocking Desmond onto his back and straddling him, placing the training dagger at his throat.

"Desmond...how could you let your guard down so easily? If this were a real combat situation you would-" Myra rambled on before Desmond abruptly poked her in the middle of the forehead.

"You're getting those wrinkles on your forehead again. You know, the ones you get when you get really angry and start talking a lot."

Myra didn't respond at first as she continued to straddle Desmond, but she quickly recovered."Wrinkles, I don't have wrinkles...do I have wrinkles? And I don't talk a lot, only when it's necessary. Why do you… you know what, nevermind that, stop goofing off Desmond, how many times do I need to tell you to take this seriously? It could help save your life one day. You need to be quick on your feet."

Desmond just let a whole hearted laugh out as Myra continued to ramble on, until another voice spoke out to them.

"Keep teasing Myra like that Desmond and she'll really kill you," Sivir stepped out from the shadows of the tent and into the torchlight of the clearing. Myra looked startled and quickly stood, stepping to the side of Desmond.

"I didn't, we didn't, see you there...how are you," Myra suddenly was flustered and her cheeks were flushed. Which caused Desmond to laugh louder, which changed abruptly into coughing as Myra's foot hit his ribcage.

Sivir let out a peal laughter and didn't answer till she caught her breath. "You know you two make my life much more enjoyable and that's not an easy task. Don't do anything stupid and make sure you don't stay up to late, we are leaving early in the morning. Goodnight," Sivir let out a small wink at Myra before she turned and left. This, of course, only made Desmond laugh harder until another foot found his backside.

* * *

 _A few days later..._

It was still early morning as Desmond stood on lookout, his exhaustion apparent as he let out a yawn and scratched his head idly. The small camp was quiet as everyone still was resting. The group had been travelling hard, mainly due to Cassiopeia who had been pushing the group on relentlessly, getting more and more ambitious as days went passed. Desmond noticed she had been losing her composure. Not because of the heat, (well _maybe_ not), but she seemed to be getting obsessively excited as they got closer to their destination. Sivir had informed him that she wanted to study some artifact in an old tomb in the desert, which was a simple job for the group, though apparently Sivir had been paid heftily.

"Nobles." Desmond let out a sigh as he shook his head before a foot collided with his backside.

"You know, I think it is sad that i'm getting used to the feeling of your boot on my back," Desmond groaned out.

"Maybe you should stop giving me a reason to be pissed off then Desmond! You were supposed to wake me three hours ago to take watch," Myra replied.

"Not piss you off?" Desmond looked at Myra incredulously. "But that's part of your charm, you're always pissed off."

"Desmond..." Myra stood in front of Desmond and and gave him an imposing and stern look. Which was hard for Myra to do as the top of her head was barely level with Desmond's chin and she had to crane her neck up to look at him. "What have I told you about ignoring my questions?"

"Okay! Okay...Yeesh," Desmond avoided her gaze before responded. "When I went to wake you, you were tossing in your sleep again and muttering. Are you having nightmares again...about your parents?"

"I told you to mind your own business," Myra said through gritted teeth.

Desmond held up his hands, "Hey, I didn't wake you this time, last time I almost lost my eye. Plus, you have been working hard the past days. I figured you could use the rest or something, I don't know. Cut me some slack."

Myra's cheeks reddened slightly but still let out an exasperated tone. "Thats your problem Desmond. You care too much." But before Myra could really could get into her lecture Desmond covered her mouth with his hands and held a finger to his lips. Myra looked confused until she too heard it.

The otherworldly crackle.

And then the sand started to shift and the ground shook slightly.

Myra and Desmond looked at each other with pure terror. Myra grabbed Desmond, "Get Sivir."

Myra turned and ran to the alarm bell. It was a unique bell, placed several feet off the ground on a poll, and had a specific sound when it rang to signal one thing- Xer'Sai. Desmond started to sprint to the camp that was rousing due to the noise and met up with Sivir and the rest of the group; most of which were scrambling to collect themselves after being abruptly woken from their sleep.

"What is happening, Sivir!" Cassiopeia, who looked more upset that her sleep was interrupted than that her life was in danger.

"That bell means Xer'Sai, and due to the fact the ground is shaking this much it means a lot of them. We need to get to the camels. Leave everything not essential."

"Will the camels even outrun them?" Magnus questioned.

"Not exactly. Xer'sai come in a variety of sizes, and the larger ones travel quicker. If we get some distance we can lure the faster ones out and take care of them before the others ones arrive to give us an advantage."

"No!" Desmond interrupted Sivir, his breath slightly ragged from sprinting, "This isn't a pack of Xer'sai."

"What do you mean boy?" Cassiopeia asked in disbelief, "How can only a few of these Xer'Sai make such a racket?"

Realization dawned on Sivir, "Everyone get to the camels now...Now!" Sivir started pushing the sellswords to the camels, panic written on their faces.

Cassiopeia stood defiant. "Sivir, will you tell me why the fabled sell-swords of your group cannot deal with a small group of Xer'sai?"

"Because, Ms. Du Couteau, it is not a large group of Xer'sai, and it is not even a small group of Xer'sai. It is one Xer'sai." Sivir grabbed Cassiopeia, not caring whether she was nobility or not. "Rek'sai, the queen."

Cassiopeia turned a few shades paler when she heard the name and finally followed the group to the camels. Sivir turned to Desmond and as she was about to speak before an ear splitting screech filled the air, and the ground began to shake. Realization dawned on Desmond as he unsheathed his two handed blade from his back and rushed away from Sivir and the group.

"Desmond! Get to the camels now!" Sivir stared in disbelief as he ran.

Myra stopped ringing the bell when she heard the ear splitting scream and realized that the Xer'sai who was attacking was none other than Rek'sai herself. She knew the group was going to try and run and so should she. However, as she began to turn, the ground beneath her feet erupted and she was knocked to the ground. Myra twisted on the sand, her ankle broken, as she faced the beast that had risen from a tunnel in the ground. The queen dwarfed even the largest Xer'sai, she was truly terrifying. Snarling, Rek'sai approached Myra until it peered over the helpless girl. The queen carried a certain weight in her presence that pushed down on Myra as it loomed over her, Rek'sai let out a low cackle that echoed deep into her bones, before raising her claw to finish Myra off. But before she could strike, Rek'sai let out a blood curdling scream as a large sword found her exposed stomach. Rek'sai twisted and knocked Desmond back, his blade still stuck in her deep within her ribcage. Desmond rolled to recover and quickly rushed to Myra, helping her to her feet. The two sellswords and the queen circled one another.

"Some rescue plan. Now we're both are going to die," Myra said wincing as she put pressure on her broken ankle.

"Yea well if we die, you can blame me all you want after," Desmond tried joking.

"Why did you even bother coming back?" Myra asked incredulously.

"Someone once told me I cared too much."

Rek'sai swept her tail in a wide arch and Desmond tried to react, but was slow having to support Myra, and the two were separated and knocked back. Myra tried to stand but the sand gave way slightly under her hands, and she realized she was in front of the massive tunnel that Rek'sai had unborrowed from. Rek'sai started to rush towards Desmond when a glint of steel flew through the air. Rek'sai raised her arm as a crossblade curved and shredded her forearm, purple blood oozing from the gash. The blade whipped back to Sivir as she called out to Desmond and Myra. Rek'sai glanced at the wound at her chest, Desmond's blade still lodged deep within, and the gash on her arm, and decided it was time to leave and started clawing her way to her only escape, the tunnel she arrived in. Myra, still sprawled in front of the tunnel, realized Rek'sai was coming and tried to crawl out of the beasts path, but could not get far with her broken ankle. Rek'sai barreled closer and closer until she felt a hand grab the back of her shirt. Desmond, now in front of the tunnel as well, picked up Myra like a small child and tossed her to the side as Rek'sai lept up in the air to dive into the tunnel. Myra turned and screamed out Desmond's name, but all she got in return was his stupid grin and a wink before Rek'sai crashed into the earth throwing sand and dust into the air. And when it settled, Rek'sai was gone, and so was Desmond.

* * *

 **A/N: So I have decided to get back into writing and I am picking up this story where I left off. Chapter three is already being written and hopefully I will have it out shortly. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, always feel free to leave reviews with criticism, I enjoy reading all reviews!**

 **I have read Riots new lore with Sivir and Shurima in general and I enjoyed most of it. I might try and incorporate some of it within my story in the future as well. Had a good laugh on Riot adding a character in Sivir's lore named Mhyra too.**

 **Thanks needs to be given to** **MeltedJujubees and DeepChicken for being my beta readers again. Really appreciate all the help!**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Tomb

**Chapter 3 - The Tomb**

Myra had never felt so much pain before and she had never felt so alone. She sat motionless as group's doctor prepared a splint for her ankle. It had been a full day since Rek'sai attacked and the group had not traveled far. Myra had barely spoken and her expression had not changed, she showed absolutely nothing: no anger, no guilt, no tears. The mercenary group was milling to and fro, and only Sivir's voice could be heard over the hushed crowd as she barked orders. Cassiopeia's dissatisfaction with the delay was evident on her face, showing no remorse for the loss that the group had experienced. Walking up to Sivir, she pursed her lips.

"I hope the loss of one insignificant member won't hinder our progression to the tomb for very long."

A collective intake of breath came from the camp, as the sell-swords let their gaze linger on their leader's reaction. Sivir turned to Cassiopeia and let a calm facade develop across her face. With a smile that held back her extreme displeasure with the noblewoman, she responded.

"I apologize if our journey to the tomb was delayed, we will continue our progress as soon as possible."

Cassiopeia seemed satisfied, "Good, I hope-"

"However Cassiopeia," Sivir interrupted the Noxian, with the same smile still on her face but her blue eyes now a piercing glare that froze Cassiopeia in her tracks. "If you refer to any of my subordinates as insignificant again, I assure you, I'll have your carcass rotting under sun and the buzzards fighting over the last scraps of your flesh before sun down. Got it?"

Sivir left before Cassiopeia could even respond. Not that she could, the sincerity of the statement could be seen in Sivir's cold gaze. Cassiopeia stood motionless for several minutes, stuck stone still.

Sivir walked over Myra. "How is she Raheem?"

The doctor finished putting the splint on and sighed. "She'll be out of comission for at least a month, maybe less if we can get her to a proper healer soon."

Sivir nodded and whistled and beckoned over to someone Myra couldn't see.

"Well I will just have to tough it out till after this job...I am still coming with you right?"

Sivir sighed as sellsword responded to her beckons with two camels. "You and the doctor are going to head to Theyut, a large settlement about two days ride south-east of here. Rest and heal up there, we will come back for you after this is done."

"No! You cannot leave me..you can't..not now." Myra had risen and grabbed ahold of Sivir, tugging on her slightly as limped on one foot.

Sivir let her voice lower to a hush. "I am so sorry Myra, please forgive me and please do this for me."

Myra's fingers became intertwined with the cloth of Sivir's shirt her voice becoming desperate, "I know this job is dangerous, I know death is something we can't escape, its normal right? But it doesn't make sense, nothing makes sense!" The first tears began to run down Myra's face. "My bones are broken and my body is bruised, so why! Why Sivir?! Why is it that my heart hurts so much? How could he leave me?" The doctor helped Myra sit as she broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

"Thank you Raheem, as long as you ride swiftly you should make it to Theyut without issue. Any other Xer'sai will avoid the general area for awhile now that Rek'sai has passed through and Rek'sai isn't in any condition to fight for some time."

The doctor nodded and stepped into his tent to prepare for the departure, leaving Sivir alone with the weeping girl.

"Myra I am…" Sivir reached out a hand to comfort the girl, but held back. " I am sorry, once this job is over I will find you and make it up to you." And with that Sivir turned her back to Myra and left.

* * *

The next day blurred into the next as the expedition progressed through the desert, the fatigue and exhaustion from the sun sunk into their skin. Until finally a voice cried out from the front of the group and finally Sivir saw them. Towers, jutting from the dunes. Sivir entered a trance like state, a first she thought maybe it was the heat, or maybe it was the fact that she had finally arrived at her destination, the fabled Tomb of the Emperors, but she realized this was much different. Voices danced around the fringes of her mind, whispering in her ear.

"Pure...pure and noble...that which runs in your veins..."

As soon as the voice came it was gone and instantly it was replaced by a chilling, and most familiar sound, an otherworldly crackle. The sand shifted once at Sivir's feet, before she screamed.

"Rek'sai is back! Everyone to the tomb, now!"

The group rushed towards the towers looming above them, the crackling getting closer and closer. Sivir bellowed to the sellswords and to the Noxians as they ran, trying to push them faster and faster towards the direction of the towers. She turned to see a plume of dust behind her, Rek'sai would soon overtake the group. Panic began to rise as the sellswords reached the base of one of the towers, the group realized there was no entrance in sight. Sivir, exhausted and out of breath, placed a hand on a brick of the tower as she looked up. Immediately, as if responding to her touch, the tower seemed to twist and bend. She rubbed her eyes and once again the whispers touched her mind.

""Welcome...Welcome! Welcome home...noble one".

The sand began to shift and part in one corner of the tower, revealing an entrance and stairs that led down into the tomb. There was only so much time to marvel as Rek'sai burst through the crest of one of the dunes. The void creature let out a loud screech before turning to stare down the group.

"Into the tunnel, quickly!" Sivir pushed several Sell-swords towards the newfound entrance. Magnus escorted Cassiopeia towards the tunnel's entrance as well. Sivir started towards it as well before turning back to realize the last half of her sell-swords stopped and fanned out around Rek'sai.

"What are you doing? Hurry into the tunnel now, that's an order!" Sivir shouted.

Mulad, a veteran of Sivir's band turned to face his leader. "Fool! Stop wasting your breathe and go!"

Sivir gave him an incredulous look. "We need to run! You guys don't stand a chance against it!"

Mulad smiled one last time at Sivir before turning his back on her. "We don't plan to win, but we can buy you time."

Sivir was stunned, "Idiots! You are sell-swords, act like one! You can't get payed if you are dead!"

Mulad left Sivir one last message before he started to walk towards the direction of the void beast, who of which already stood over the body of one sellsword and engaged with three others. "You know Sivir...us sellswords and mercenaries, we are looked down as lowbrow beings, the scum of the Valoran. But all of us here, as well as Desmond and Myra too, not once did we ever feel you look down on us. You looked upon us as comrades, as worthy soldiers and even as friends. We would follow you into this desert a hundred times over and don't you ever think for a moment, we wouldn't die for you a hundred times over.

Sivir did not know how to respond, she only knew she couldn't let their sacrifice be in vain. And so she turned, breathless, running towards the tunnel, as all sound from the world seemed to vanish, there was pure silence until her foot touched the stone of the tunnel. Again the tomb seemed to react to her touch and a huge stone slab crashed behind Sivir closing off the entrance and blocking all outside light. After a brief moment of complete darkness and the shallow panting of people out of breath, three quick strikes of flint echoed through the hall and a torch was lit.

It was time for the descent into the tomb.

* * *

The group had been reduced to five members, Sivir, Cassiopeia, Desmond and two sell-swords, one of which held the now lit torch. Without as much as a whisper spoken, the group moved forward, down the spiraling tunnels and pathways of the tomb. The tomb seemed to be inviting them in, drawing the group deeper and deeper whether they wanted wanted to progress further or not, everyone seemed to be in a trance, but it was much more painful for Sivir. The one voice that had spoken to her outside the tomb had multiplied to ten and each step she took there was another voice that started to chant in her head. It seemed to take all her energy to raise her hand to her forehead, it felt as if she was moving through quicksand. After what seemed like hours of walking, a screaming cry brought Sivir to her senses. The sell-sword in the front of the group dropped his torch as it clattered to the ground. Spears had shot out from the wall impaling the sell-sword's chest, he tried effortlessly to pry at the spears for a moment before falling silent. The second sell-sword broke out of the trance as well, terrified, his mind broken, he began to backpedal in horror, before turning and rushing past Sivir and Cassiopeia, however he did not get far, as a purple miasma began to spray out of the ceiling at the end of the hall. It enveloped the fleeing man, turning his body to ashe almost instantly. Desmond, who had also broken out of the trance, grabbed Cassiopeia before turning to Sivir.

The bodyguard was confused and groggy but breathlessly he managed to speak but one word. "Run." And she did, bolting down the hall quickly, picking up the fallen torch mid stride. She lead the way, Desmond close on her heels, cradling Cassiopeia as he ran, the purple miasma closing in. Sivir strained her eyes desperately trying to find an escape and finally as she rounded the corner she saw it, a glimmer of light in a large opening at the end of the hall. She turned to Desmond, pointing at their escape, but her heart sank as she looked back. As Desmond stepped, the stone under his foot clicked and the section of the hallway he was in began to shift and rumble. Without a second of hesitation, he tossed Cassiopeia from his arms as the stones began to give way beneath his feet. Desmond tried to take one step, but it was in vain and he disappeared into the dark abyss below, the bodyguard didn't even let out a scream as he fell, content knowing he had saved Cassiopeia. The noblewoman landed on the rough stone, the impact breaking her out of her trance, her body was inches away from the pitfall that had consumed Desmond. The hiss of the miasma was now closer than ever, Sivir ran to Cassiopeia's side, helping her to her feet as they moved towards the room end of the hall. As they entered the chamber Sivir looked back, and to her surprise the miasma did not progress into the room and began to disperse at the end of the hall.

"This has gone to absolute hell, what the fuck is wrong with this place." Sivir yelled as she began to break down. She turned to face Cassiopeia, who of which stood ignoring Sivir with a vicious smirk on her face.

Sivir stared at her incredulously, "Do you not care that we almost died, that you lost your bodyguard, and about the others that are dead because of this cursed expedition?"

Cassiopeia continued to ignore Sivir, making her even more irate, but before Sivir could slap Cassiopeia, the noblewoman pointed a finger at the back wall of the chamber. Sivir turned and her anger left her, for on the far wall was a massive stone serpent, coiled around a door. In the center of the door, a inlaid design, in the shape of the weapon upon Sivir's back.

Sivir shifted the crossblade to her hand, mesmerized. "My blade, is...the key…?"

Sivir took one step forward towards the door... she took a second...but before she took her third, she let out a sputtering cough. She felt a trickle of blood drip down her lip, a thin blade piercing out of her abdomen, Sivir dropped the Crossblade from her hand and the thin blade was removed from her body. As she fell to her knees she heard the icy laughter of Cassiopeia behind her. The Noxian ran a finger under Sivir's chin, smearing some of her blood, before leaning down and whispering in her ear.

"All too easy…"

* * *

 **A/N: I started writing this story awhile ago, before Riot updated the lore on Shurima, so I apologize for any inconsistencies. I wrote Myra's character before Riot released the new backstory on Sivir, where they introduced a new character with a similar name, Mhyra. As far is it stands for my story, these are two separate people. Thanks**


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